On-going project // Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, eastern Poland has changed noticeably. Between the forests and fields that border Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, a new, tangible tension hangs in the air.

At the center of many concerns lies the Suwałki Corridor, a stretch of land that appears narrow on the map but carries enormous strategic weight in security discussions. It connects the Baltic states with the rest of NATO. For people living in the region, the corridor is not an abstract geopolitical concept, but a concrete reference point whenever security or the future is discussed.

“Achillesferse” follows this region during a time of upheaval. Young people are packing their bags and moving either to western Polish cities or abroad, searching for better opportunities but also for a sense of security that has become increasingly scarce in the east.

Traveling along the border, the presence of the state is unmistakable. New fences, modernized checkpoints, and military vehicles on roads that were once scarcely used reflect a visible investment: billions have flowed into infrastructure, personnel, and technology.

Yet despite these heightened security measures, tensions remain. In September 2025, reports indicated that Russian drones entered Polish airspace, followed shortly by Russian fighter jets entering Estonian airspace. A reminder that the threat is not merely theoretical, but very real.

The photographs capture this new everyday reality: border villages where the wind sweeps across open fields; young people dreaming of life elsewhere; fences and cameras where trees once stood. Eastern Poland appears caught between apparent normality and the awareness of living at a critical juncture of Europe.